E-Commerce Day 2026: The market talks about agent commerce, competition and the role of AI

AGENT COMMERCE: THE ENTIRE INTERNET AS A MARKETPLACE

The central theme of the forum was the concept of agentcommerce —, a model in which AI agents independently find, compare and make purchases on behalf of the consumer. The chairman of the board of UAFIC, Rostyslav Dyuk, outlined a fundamental change in the logic of consumer behavior and business opportunities.

«Agentcommerce – is when virtually the entire Internet becomes your marketplace. By embedding agent commerce in your application, you can at the moment give a point of differentiation to the consumer and satisfy his need in the way he is currently used to. Consumers choose convenience: they ask ChatGPT and get an answer», – noted Rostyslav Dyuk, Chairman of the Board of UAFIC.

PARTNERSHIP: HOW BANKS AND FINTECH CREATE A JOINT PRODUCT

Conference participants discussed the challenges of the transitional regulatory period for non-banking financial institutions. Regulatory Director Inna Tyutyun noted that the current regulatory burden on financial companies is significantly higher than on banks and called on the regulator to take a more supportive approach during the transformation.

As Inna Tyutyun, Member of the Board of Sense Bank, noted: «Both parties always win in partnership. The bank acquires an additional point of contact with the client and the opportunity to offer its product at the right moment. A partner enriches his own service with a financial component without building it from scratch. Together, they create an experience for the client that they would not be able to offer on their own.»

The conference also raised the topic of the legal architecture of partnerships between banks and marketplaces. Oleg Kraynskyi, Advisor to AEQUO, drew attention to the risk that is often overlooked when concluding agreements, — protection of intellectual property of both parties in case of completion of cooperation.

«Bank sells marketplace. Marketplace sells the bank. But under what brand does this happen? On what grounds are IP assets and trademarks used? In our experience, it is always critically important to prescribe the rules for the use of intellectual property in as much detail as possible in contractual documents. Sooner or later, each project ends — and you need to make sure that the partner is not left without its IP assets, and the bank — is without a formed client base.»

PAYMENT INNOVATION: THE HYGIENIC MINIMUM OF A NEW REALITY

A separate block of the conference was payment facilities, which have already become an integral part of the everyday experience of Ukrainians. Serhii Makarenko, Head of Trade Solutions at Privatbank, drew attention to the paradox: services perceived as «trivia» are actually part of Ukraine's competitive advantage over European markets.

«If you remove payment in installments, cash withdrawal at the cash desk or Cash on Delivery – will become uncomfortable. This is already the hygienic minimum that we need every day. And you know, this is exactly what leaves Ukrainians in Ukraine: when they go to Europe and there is no such thing – is a real stress for them.»

DELIVERY AS PART OF A SINGLE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

Conference participants also discussed the role of logistics in the omnichannel customer experience. Olesya Kopchuk from Meest Poshta emphasized: a modern consumer does not distinguish channels —, he expects a single seamless service regardless of where and when he interacts with the brand. Delivery in this — model is not a separate service, but an integral link of the client path.

«Today I go to the store and want to get an order there. Tomorrow I will be next to the — branch and want to pick it up there. Delivery is the basic part, which, together with all other services, forms a single client path and a single client experience», – Olesya Kopchuk, Head of Key Customer Development, Meest Mail.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: WHOEVER FIRST — WINS

The thematic block on artificial intelligence became one of the liveliest at the conference. Participants discussed how AI is transforming operational processes, product development and customer experience in e-commerce — and why delaying implementation is more expensive today than ever before. The discussion showed that the question is no longer whether to implement or not, but how quickly and with what depth of integration.

Ihor Polych, CEO of Devlight, summing up the results of the thematic block on AI, emphasized: the cycle of innovations has decreased so much that being late with the introduction of technologies for two years can cost the company market positions.

«One or another AI-based product can improve our business processes, operations and customer experience. Whoever is the first — will get more benefits and overtake the market. The cycle of innovation has become so fast that a two-year delay — is already a downright loss if there is no mega-strong product. Therefore: more time, resources and investment in AI.»

The event was organized by the Ukrainian Association of Fintech and Innovative Companies. Sense Bank became a partner bank of the event, the Do with UA platform traditionally became an ecosystem partner of the event. The following information partners were: National Association of Banks of Ukraine, Marketer, Kharkiv IT Cluster, Diia.City.United, marketing agency «Tsil», financial accounting system nomi and Young Business Club. At the same time, media support was provided by UA.NEWS, Fintech Insider, Retailers.ua, Economist.com.ua, Founder.ua and Scroll.media.